If you own a guinea pig, you are probably no stranger to their habitual, and sometimes excessive, tendency to poop all the time. I’m sure we all understand the basics of how food waste works. But in the simplest of terms, we eat something, our body extracts the nutrients it wants, and the excess is removed. Simple as that.
But wait, why is your guinea pig pooping just about every minute. You might be starting to wonder how it’s even physically possible. But hang tight, because in today’s article we will give you the breakdown of why guinea pigs poop so much.
For starters, you should know that it is very normal for a guinea pig to poop a lot. In fact, you should be more worried if your guinea pig is not pooping at all.
Why do guinea pigs poop so much?
The key reason that guinea pigs poop so much is because of their diet, nervousness, and dehydration.
Diet
The main reason guinea pigs poop so much is because of their diet. Guinea pigs eat a heavy concentration of plants, and especially hay. Most of the plants that you can feed your guinea pig are high in fiber. A guinea pig has a very fast and efficient digestive system, which allows them to dispose of waste in under an hour after eating.
Additionally, if you own a guinea pig, you are aware that they are constantly eating. They don’t really have a designated breakfast/lunch/dinner. Instead, they eat the hay/vegetable/pellets whenever they please. Since guinea pigs are constantly eating, they in turn are constantly pooping.
As long as your guinea pig’s poop is medium to dark brown, oval shaped, and relatively uniform in shape, your guinea pig is fine.
Nervous
Believe it or not, guinea pigs have the ability to get nervous. It is very common for a guinea pig to get nervous when someone approaches their cage, especially if it is a stranger. When you pick up a guinea pig or remove him/her from their cage, it can trigger them to release their bowels.
Its quite similar to a young kid peeing their pants when they get scared or nervous. If you notice that your guinea pig gets uncomfortable when you pick them up, you should give them some space.
Dehydration
Lastly, your guinea pig could be pooping a lot because of dehydration. In order to have a soft, healthy stool, a guinea pig must be hydrated. When a guinea pig does not have enough liquid in their body, they cannot properly digest their food. For this reason, guinea pigs cannot go long without water.
This causes a guinea pig’s stool to become much smaller and dry. For this reason, your guinea pig might start having poops of smaller size. Therefore, it is important to regularly inspect your guinea pig’s stool to ensure it is normal and healthy.
You should also keep a close eye for other symptoms that signal dehydration, such as a runny nose.
Why does my guinea pig poop so much?
Your guinea pig is probably pooping so much because of one of the reasons listed above. Most of the time, excessive pooping is nothing to worry about. Just make sure that you are providing your guinea pig with a healthy, balanced diet. It equally important to always make sure your guinea pig has access to fresh, clean water.